The Divine Mercy

A History of Devotion

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Devotion to the Divine Mercy and witnessing to Him in word, deed and sacrament for the salvation of souls has been an important part of the birth, development and ongoing life of the Missionaries of Mercy. A quick look at the charism and then back through the years attests to this:

The Missionaries of Mercy practice devotion to the Divine Mercy in several ways. On a daily basis the community gathers in the evenings to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and vespers before the Blessed Sacrament. And members of the community look to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet individually at 3 PM, the Hour of Divine Mercy and the Passion of the Lord, as requested by St. Faustina. Friday is a special day in the community devoted to nourishing the charism and devotion to Divine Mercy through recollection, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, praying the Stations of the Cross and other community activities.

Divine Mercy Sonday is a day of special significance as are certain Marian celebrations and the feast days of those saints who intercede and provide inspiration for the Missionaries: St. Faustina, St. Therese of Lisieux, Blessed John Paul II, and St. Camillus de Lellis.

The Spirituality of the Missionaries of Mercy – Jesus I trust in you! – is inspired by the Divine Mercy message. And it is lived out through a joy-filled witness and abandonment to Divine Mercy – like little children before their merciful Father. Sr. Faustina’s spirituality and that of the Little Flower with her “little way” are particularly informative of the spirituality of the Missionaries as are the writings and the life of Blessed John Paul II, St. Camillus de Lellis and the Venerable Fulton J Sheen.

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Let us pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet is at the core of the devotion of the community. And we pray it in a way that highlights the charism of the ecclesial family. We start with the General Intention: That the Father in His Divine Mercy – through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Mercy, may build up His Kingdom, make this chaplet a reality in our lives, strengthen us in our common mission, and come to the aid of those for whom we pray. And then we continue to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet as follows